Forever Friends
by xxjointherocksxx
Summary: After a brutal school shooting, a victim comes to Melinda for help. But what kind of help is she looking for?
1. The Shooting at Grandview High

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Whisperer; I merely came up with the plot.**

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Melinda was in the living room watching the news in horror.

There had been a shooting at Grandview High. Jim was on duty, and Melinda figured he was probably at the high school.

The scene wasn't a happy sight. Teenagers, parents, teachers were all crying.

The TV started to fizz out. Melinda frowned. She changed the channel and flipped back, hoping it would help, but it didn't.

"Help me! Help her! Help me!" A very fuzzy voice choked out.

Melinda stared at the TV. She stood up and turned off the television. Jumping in her car, she sped away towards Grandview High.

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Jim came to greet her.

"Hi honey."

"Thank god, you're okay," Melinda said, embracing him in her arms. "Do you know what happened?"

Jim shook his head. "Police won't release anything yet. The kids won't talk. What are you doing here?"

"Help me!" The voice was clear now.

Melinda turned around. There was a girl, who had taken a shot to the head, behind her.

"Help me!"

"Is someone there?"

Melinda nodded. "A girl. She might be a victim."

"You have to help me! Laura's still in there!"

"Jim, is everyone out of the building?" Melinda asked, not withdrawing her gaze from the ghost.

"I think so, why?"

"Please! She didn't leave! You have to get her out of there! They'll kill her!"

Suddenly, the doors burst open. Two policemen were wrestling two handcuffed boys out of the building.

The taller of the boys was putting up a greater fight. "I won't go! Not until she's out! I won't go!"

The smaller boy didn't seem to do anything.

"Jim, I don't think everyone is out of that high school."

"Please!" The ghost urged. "I know she is! I didn't see her come out- I've been waiting!"

"What's her name?" Melinda asked as calmly as she could.

"Laura Woodcroft. Please, get her out!"

"Jim, go inquire about Laura Woodcroft."

"She's a sophomore." The ghost added.

"She's a sophomore," Melinda yelled at Jim's retreating back.

Once Jim was away, Melinda looked straight at the ghost. "Who are you? How can I help you?"

"I need you to get Laura out."

"What's your name?"

"That's my family over there," said the girl, pointing. She disappeared.

Melinda was frustrated. The ghost didn't tell her if she had any messages, just that Laura Woodcroft needed to be rescued.

Melinda walked over to where a woman was standing, held by what Melinda presumed was her husband.

"Um, excuse me, I'm Melinda Gordon. I just wanted to express my condolences." Melinda offered them a wan smile.

The woman broke down in tears. "My baby, my poor baby."

"Our little girl was killed," said the man, putting on a brave face. Melinda had seen that face many times before. "Shot in the head, according to the medics. Nothing… nothing could have saved her."

"I'm so sorry. Was she taken already?"

He nodded and buried his face in his wife's hair as he hugged her.

The girl appeared. "Can you tell him… tell him to be brave for me?"

This ghost was driving her crazy. Melinda walked away from her, only to have the ghost follow her.

"Well, can you?"

"I need your name, first."

"Emily. Tell my Dad that… that I loved him… that… that I never wanted to leave him."

"I can't just do that!" Melinda said. "I can't just come out and say that I can see ghosts, I see you and then give them your message. It doesn't work like that!"

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a girl coming out of the doors, lead by Jim.

"Laura! She's alive!" Emily cried.

"This is your friend?" Melinda asked.

Emily nodded.

"Do you see a light?" Melinda asked lightly, hoping to get Emily to cross over right away.

"I can't leave her. I can't! I won't! You can't make me!" Emily suddenly became very angry. "You want me to leave my life? You want me to just walk out on Laura when she needs me most?"

"You're dead. It's time to move on. You being here won't help her grieving process."

"You can't make me go!" Emily disappeared.

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"So what's with the girl?" Jim asked at dinner.

"She doesn't want to leave, she's really attached to Laura."

"That can't be helpful."

"I think it's something about how she died. Like, she needed to say something to her…" Melinda thought out loud.

"Whatever it is," Jim said, kissing her forehead. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

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Melinda slept fitfully that night. Emily was weaving in and out of her dreams. Melinda kept seeing glimpses of a bathroom, and then hearing gunshots.

Melinda opened her eyes, and looked at the clock which was blinking 4:27 in neon green.

Melinda groaned and closed her eyes before she heard "You have to help me!"

Emily was standing right beside her bed.

Melinda sat up, trying not to disturb Jim's sleep. She really hated it when ghosts did this.

"You have to help me first," she said sleepily. "I need your name, your… connection to Laura… and I need a reason to talk with her."

"They told me you could help."

Melinda suppressed a groan with difficulty. The dreaded "they" that many ghosts dragged up as an excuse. "Name, connection and reason or I can't help you."

"I'm Emily. Laura and I were friends since kindergarten."

"Emily what?" prodded Melinda.

"Carter. Please, can you help me?"

"Reason?" Melinda asked.

"Just help us!" Emily shouted, and she disappeared.

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**A/N: Well, there's chappie one. Please review! I love reviews!**


	2. I need to help her!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Whisperer, any questions?**

**A/N: Reviews please!  
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The next morning, Melinda went back to the high school. She saw that dedications were being set up all around. At a tree near the entrance, Melinda saw Mr. and Mrs. Carter, with the girl Jim had brought out yesterday- Laura.

Melinda walked up. "I just… wanted to express my condolences again, and I was wondering… Laura, can I speak to you?"

The sullen teenage girl looked up in mild surprise. "How do you know my name?"

"My husband, Jim, found you in the high school yesterday." The girl gave a small nod. "Can we go over here?" Melinda asked, leading her away. "What happened yesterday? From your point of view?"

Laura didn't say anything.

"I'm not the police; I'm not a social worker- I just want to know what happened. It might be very important."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Laura asked.

"I knew Emily, too." Melinda said.

"I had planned on meeting her in the bathroom that day. It was about 9:30. Suddenly, we heard screaming, and the other girls in the bathroom started screaming too. We heard gunshots."

She stopped talking; it looked like she was going to cry.

Melinda didn't say anything.

Laura took a deep breath. "We heard gunshots. Emily screamed that we needed to get out of there… and she… she…" she stopped talking, and ran away.

"Laura!" Melinda called after her.

"She needs me." Emily had appeared to Melinda's right. "I can't leave her now."

"Do you have something you need to say to her?" Melinda asked, turning to face her.

"She needs me," Emily repeated. "How can I go into the light when I know that she needs me? When can I talk to her?"

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Later that day, Jim came into the store.

"Is Mel, here, Delia?" he asked.

Delia smiled and nodded. "Yeah, she's in the back. Melinda! Melinda, Jim's here!"

Melinda came out from the back. "What's up?"

"You know that girl I pulled out from the school yesterday?"

Melinda nodded.

"Well, her mom feels as though she's eternally indebted to us. She's invited us to dinner."

"Oh, sounds like fun. I need to get close to Laura, anyway. Ghost girl is attached to her, and definitely not willing to let go."

"I was just doing my job, I keep telling her…" Jim said.

"You saved her daughter's life," Delia said. "You saved her jewel, she feels like she owes you a favor. She could have lost her daughter that day, can you imagine the relief?"

Jim nodded. "Yeah." He turned to Melinda. "So, meet me at five?"

Melinda nodded and kissed him good-bye.

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At five, Jim and Melinda pulled into the driveway. Melinda went to knock on the door, but it swung open for her.

"_Hey, Emily," Laura said. _

"_Hey! Peterson actually let you out?" _

_There were other girls in the bathroom. Karen, Jennifer, and two girls Laura knew to be called Margaret and Katie. _

"_So, what's this –?"_

_Laura was interrupted by sounds of gunshots. Everyone in the bathroom started to scream. Laura didn't move, she just stared around her. _

"_Shooters! Shooters in the school!" the sounds of people screaming came from outside the bathroom wall. _

_Laura looked at Emily, horrified. _

"_Come on, Laura! We've got to get out of here!"_

_Laura stared at her friend and then darted into the nearest stall, locking the door. _

_Emily pounded on the door. "Laura! You'll be killed! Laura, get out of there!"_

"_No! No, I can't move! You go, Emily! I'm not leaving! It's safer in here!"_

"_They'll break down the doors, Laura! Use your head, come out of there!"_

"_No! Leave me here! Just go! Just go!"_

_Laura heard footsteps stampeding towards the door- the other girls were leaving too. _

_From the stall, Laura heard screaming, and then five gunshots, one, right after the other. _

_Laura started to sob. She knew who had been shot. She heard the door bang open. _

"_I don't think anyone's in here, Josh! Let's just get the hell out of here!"_

"_There's someone left, I can feel it- search the place."_

_Laura tried to be silent. She didn't dare take a breath. She heard the boys kick open the doors. _

_The boy stopped in front of her stall. "There's no one in here, let's go!"_

"_Open that stall."_

"_They all left screaming when they heard us! Josh, we're dead men if we stay in here!"_

"_Open the stall, Avery!"_

"_We're getting the hell out of here- now."_

_Laura had never been so afraid in her life. _

_She heard a grunt. "All right, let's get moving."_

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"Melinda! Melinda! Can you hear me?" Jim was standing over her. Melinda suddenly became very aware of her surroundings.

She was huddled in a corner. "Jim… Mrs. Woodcroft, oh I'm so sorry."

Jim and Mrs. Woodcroft were looking at her concernedly. "Are you all right, Melinda?" Jim asked again, helping her up.

They shared a look, and Melinda hoped Jim understood that it was s ghost issue.

"Yeah, yes, I'm fine. Sorry… about that."

Melinda turned around. "I'm ready to eat; dinner looks amazing, thank you!"

Dinner wasn't the only thing Melinda was looking at. When she turned to look at the table, she saw Laura sitting at the table, looking sullen as ever, and Emily.

"I need to help her!" Emily shouted before vanishing.

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**A/N: Okay, just in case anyone was confused, that bathroom scene (the scene in italics) was a vision. More about it will be revealed later, I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page so I didn't get reviews saying "what was that scene about?" Thanks! Please review!**


	3. The Dinner

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Whisperer now, I never did in the past, and I don't plan on owning it in the future.**

**A/N: Happy belated Halloween!**

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"_Melinda! Melinda! Can you hear me?" Jim was standing over her. Melinda suddenly became very aware of her surroundings. _

_She was huddled in a corner. "Jim… Mrs. Woodcroft, oh I'm so sorry."_

_Jim and Mrs. Woodcroft were looking at her concernedly. "Are you all right, Melinda?" Jim asked again, helping her up. _

_They shared a look, and Melinda hoped Jim understood that it was a ghost issue. _

"_Yeah, yes, I'm fine. Sorry… about that."_

_Melinda turned around. "I'm ready to eat; dinner looks amazing, thank you!"_

_Dinner wasn't the only thing Melinda was looking at. When she turned to look at the table, she saw Laura sitting at the table, looking sullen as ever, and Emily. _

"_I need to help her!" Emily shouted before vanishing. _

"Can I get you a glass of water?" Mrs. Woodcroft asked, still looking very worried.

"I'm fine, really- but water does sound appealing."

"Can we ever thank you enough, Jim, for saving Laura?" Mr. Woodcroft asked.

"Oh, really, I think this is about as much as I can handle, Bruce," Jim said, sitting down.

"Laura sure appreciates it, don't you, honey?" Bruce asked.

She nodded quickly. "Yes. Yes, I do."

"I'm happy I could help," Jim said, with a sympathetic look to Laura.

"Where did he find you?" Melinda asked, hoping to prompt the story. She had a feeling that she didn't get the whole story from her vision.

Laura mumbled something no one could hear.

"Sorry?" Melinda asked kindly.

"In the janitor's closet." Laura stuffed food in her mouth so she wouldn't have to respond to anymore questions.

"She lost a dear friend that day- Emily Carter. She's been rather withdrawn since," Mrs. Woodcroft said quietly.

"I knew Emily, too."

Laura flashed a look that seemed to ask "why are you doing this?"

Melinda looked down at her chicken. She wasn't getting anywhere.

Suddenly, Laura started to cry, and she bolted from her chair. Melinda heard feet going up steps.

Her father sighed. "We hoped this wasn't going to happen. Please, it's not your fault. She's been really sensitive."

Melinda put her water down. "Can I go talk to her?" she asked.

"It's really not your fault, Melinda." Mrs. Woodcroft said.

"I think I can help," Melinda tried.

Bruce sighed. "Second door on your left, good luck."

Melinda smiled and got up.

When she reached her door, she heard sobbing from inside. She knocked on the door.

"Go away, Dad! I'm not coming back down! Why did they have to come?"

"It's not your Dad," Melinda said. "It's me. Can I come in?"

The door opened a crack. "What do you want with me? I'm not crazy."

"I'm sure you aren't. I think I can help. Can I come in?"

Laura opened the door all the way and allowed Melinda entrance. Laura sat on her bed and hugged her pillow.

"Laura, what happened?" Melinda asked. "Why did Jim find you in a janitor's closet?"

She didn't say anything. Melinda figured that she was just going to have to come out and say it.

"I'm going to tell you something, Laura. You can believe me or not, but it's the whole truth."

"What?"

"I see earthbound spirits- ghosts. I'm not a psychic or a fortune teller or what have you. It's a gift. I can't see all spirits, just one's that haven't crossed over. I keep telling you I knew Emily- they truth is, I've only seen her spirit. She's very attached to you."

"Emily's here?"

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**A/N: Bwahahaha! I leave you there! Yeah, I realize it's a short chapter with a cliff hanger, but I wanted to save the rest. Maybe this will give you incentive to review! Happy belated Halloween! (Sorry to those who don't celebrate it… I do)**


	4. The Story

**Disclaimer: If I haven't owned Ghost Whisperer for the last three chapters, do you think I own it now?**

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"Not right now. But she's shown me things. She was in the bathroom with you after she died. After she was shot, and the two boys were in there, she was there too. I think she might have left when they left. I didn't see anything past that…"

"I left too. After I was sure they'd gone, I left…

…_I came out of the bathroom… and I stepped over the dead bodies of the girls who had been shot! I rounded a corner, and I was trying to be really quiet. As soon as I turned the corner, they were there. I think Avery was the one who saw me first. Josh ran around and put his hand over my mouth and his gun to my neck. Avery told him not to shoot. _

'_There's a janitor's closet in the next hallway.' He said. _

_So they dragged me around the hall and threw me into the closet. The last thing I heard was 'she was it, wasn't she?'_

_I fell down on my knees and started to cry. I heard sirens. I tried banging on the door and screaming for help, but no one heard me. _

_It felt like hours passed, but it was really only about 45 minutes. Then, Jim came and had to knock down the door because it was locked…_

… I thought I'd never see daylight again," Laura finished. "How did Jim know to find me?"

"He didn't," answered Melinda. "I showed up around then, and I saw Emily. She told me that you were in there. I got Jim to go back in the school and get you out."

"Emily saved me? Emily saved me when… when I abandoned her?" she buried her face in her hands.

"You didn't abandon her, Laura. Don't think that for a minute." Melinda said firmly. "You were scared, and you did the thing you thought you had to do to survive."

"Tell her I don't want her to feel guilty." Emily said, appearing behind Laura.

"She doesn't want you to feel guilty." Melinda said. "She's here now."

Laura lifted her tear stained face.

Melinda nodded.

"Emily… I'm sorry I left you. We… we should have died together. I left you to die alone…"

"Tell her she doesn't need to feel guilty. Melinda… I can't leave her."

"Laura, is there something you want to say to Emily?" Melinda asked. "Anything at all?"

"I… I want to tell her I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave her to die alone… and then to find that you saved me… and that you were in the stall with me the entire time… Emily… I abandoned you… why?"

"Tell her because that's what friends do. And friends don't leave friends out to dry- even in death."

"She said because that's what friends do. Death wasn't going to be able to make her leave you."

"I abandoned you. I left _you_."

"Tell her it doesn't matter."

"She says it doesn't matter," Melinda said.

"It does though…" Laura insisted.

"I don't think Emily cares. She just wanted to know that you were going to be okay. She didn't want you to die too." Melinda said.

"Tell her that if she says 'I abandoned you' one more time, I'll kill her myself," Emily said with traces of a smile.

"She really does want you to stop," Melinda said.

"How can I?"

"Move past it all," Melinda said. "Don't dwell on what could have been… just live now. You'd think a second chance at life would make that clear."

"I will… if Emily says it's okay."

"Tell her I give her my permission to move on. To live her life. Just… to remember that I always loved her."

"She says yes. To live your life… and to remember that she always loved you."

"I loved you too… Emily."

"Is… is that mine?" Emily asked, staring out the window.

"Is it a light?"

Emily nodded.

"Then yes."

Emily walked toward the window, turned around and said "Tell her that I figured out who wrote the notes. It was Avery." She left and there was a breeze that rustled with the curtains.

"She's gone… isn't she…?"

"She's gone to a better place… so your life can become a better place. She wanted me to tell you something."

"What?"

"That day, in the bathroom, I think she was going to tell you who notes were from."

"She figured it out?"

"She said they were from Avery. That name sounds familiar… who is it?"

Laura looked as though someone had punched her in the stomach. "One of the shooters."

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**A/N: Well, that's all folks! I know, I left it on such a miserable ending, but isn't that how a lot of episodes end? Reviews please!**


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